Water heater



May 112, 19310 J, MORLEY 1,805,222

WATER HEATER Filed July 16, 1928 harem ted May 12,1931

UNITED STATES PATENT orrlca 3 P. HOB-LE2, OF MICHIGAN CITY, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR '10 BASTIAN-HORLEY COMPANY, OF LA FORTE, INDIANA, CORPORATION 03' INDIAlfTA WATER HEATER Application filed m 16,

My invention relates primarily to water heaters including a storage tank associated with a combustion chamber in which heating means is located and from which a flue struc- 5 ture leads through the storage tank, and it has to do more especially with novel thermosiphonic means cooperating with the heating means for heating and circulating the water within the stora e tank.

a One of the obJects of my invention is to provide imple and inexpensive means of the oregoing character which is adapted to be mounted wholly within the storage tank and which is capable of effecting a very rapid water-heating and water-circulating action.

Another object is to rovide thermosi honic means which may e associated wit the flue structure assing through the water in the storage tan whereby the flue gases may be efiectively utilized in heatin and circulating the water with the resu t that fuel consumption is reduced to a minimum and operating costs generall are reduced with an increase inheater e ciency.

A further and more specific object is'to provide what I may term a multiple riser element having a plurality of riser tubes of small cross-sectional area, each of which tubes is formed in part by a wall surface of the flue structure (or other hot gas conduit) so that the water passing through these riser 'tubes passes directly alon and in contact with the flue or other con uit wall which is heated by the hot gases of combustion passing therethrough.

Another object is to rovide a water heater in which the hot gases om a suitable burner are applied directly against the tank wall to initial y heat the water at that point and to initiate a circulatory action, and in which some of the hot gases are also directed through the body of the water in the storage tank along the water-circulation path to continuousl; stimulate and increase the circulato action.

, dditional objects are to provide positive directional means for causing the initiallyheated water at the bottom of the. stora e tank, as it circulates upwardly, to enterthe multiple-tube riser element for the circula- 1828. Serial No. 293,112.

Fi 2 is a horizontal section taken sube5 stantially on line 22 of Fig.1.

The form of heater which I have chosen to illustrate my invention includes a storage tank 10 surrounded by a shell 11. The tank and shell are spaced apart to rovide an insulating space 12 which may .ta e the form of a dead air space or it may receive any desired form of insulating material for suitably insulatingxthe tank 10. Thewalls of the storage tan and shell are extended downwardly beneath the tank bottom 13 to provide a combustion chamber 14. The above structure is firml mounted 'upon a leg-supported base 15 whic forms the bottom of the combustion chamber. The top of the tank takes preferably the form shown in Fig. 1, and is provided with a service connectlon 16 and a cold water supply connection 17 from which extends the usual supply ipe 18.

The combustion cham er 14 is comparativeliyh shallow and receives a gas burner 19.

is burner is of a character adapted to disf charge hot gases ofcombustion against the dome-shaped tank bottom 13 in a uniformly distributed manner and without the burner flames impinging the tank bottom. The burner may be supported in the combustion chamber in any desired manner and the fuel (which inthis instance is as) to be burned thereby is supplied throng a pipe 20. The

fuel t rough this suppl pipe is controlled by a thermostat 21whic may be of a slow-action, sna -action, or other, type. This thermostat ment 21*projecting into the tank and it functions underthe control of the temperature of as the usual thermal ele-- of the tubular parts 24, it

7 follows:

' flue 22 providing equally spaced tubes 24 extending throughout 'the length of the water in the tank to increase and decrease the gas flow according to the temperature of such water so to and maintained at the desired temperature. It will be understood that the form of the foregoing structure may be varied without departin from my invention.

As the lot gases from the burner 19 contact with the bottom 13 of the tank, thewater in the tank at that point is initially and quickly heated and, as is well known, it rises toward the top of the tank. My invention provides for a thermosiphonic action within the stora e tank to stimulate this initial heating and c rculating action to insure the proper and rapid heating of the 'water and the maintaining of'the same at the desired tem erature, as The flue 22 which lea s from the combustion chamber 14 passes centrally through the storage tank. Obviously, some of the hot gases from the burner 19"are discharged directly into this flue and substantially all of the gases passing through this flue are hot gases. The heat from these gases is naturally given up through the flue walls to the water which ma contact therewith and to utilize this heat for heating and circulating the water,'I rovide a mult.ple-tube riser or circulating e ement 23 mounted wholly within the store e tank 10. This element takes preferably t e form shown in Fig. 2 and it extends from a point adjacent the tank bottom 13 to a point adjacent the top thereof. Specifically, this particular element 23 is star-shaped in cross-section and is of such size that it fits snugly around and against the around such flue a series of the element, such tubes being triangularly shaped in cross-section. I do not desire to be limited to the triangular form being understood that these tube parts may take a semi-circular, or other,.shape in cross-section without departing from my invention. By mounting the element 23 upon the flue, as described, the cylindrical'flue wall serves as a substantial part of the wall surface of each of the tubes 24 so that the heat transfer to the water in the tubes 24 is directly through the flue wall. The bottom of the element 23 is bell-shaped providing an upwardl -defiecting surface for positively directingt e initially-heated and circulating water toward and into the riser tubes 24. It will be understood that, while I have utilized the heater flue 22 for supporting the riser element, yet any other suitable form of conduit may be employed (instead of or in. addition to the heater flue) for that purpose.

In operation, the hot. gases discharging from the burner 19 initially heat the water upon the bottom of the tank 13. This water as heated circulates upwardly and is directed by the riser-element mouth 23* into the separated riser tubes 24. The heated gases just that the water may be brought cally eliminatin entering the flue 22 aid in this initial heating effect and tend to stimulate'the initial circulatory action. As this initially heated water passes into the various riser tubes, heat is transferred thereto through the flue .wall from the hot ases within the flue and the initial heating 0 the water is increased with consequent increase in circulation of the water. This circulatory action is further increased by the passage of the same through the relatively small-section riser tubes. Heat is transferred to this circulatory water as it continues to pass from the lowermost part of the tubes to the top thereof with consequent increase in circulation to the latter point with the total result that the circulatory action through the riser element is extremely rapid. This rapidity in circulation, as will be well understood, aids in the heat-transfer through the flue wall so that maximum eflicienc in that regard is closely approached. Furt ermore, this rapid circulation tends to prevent the formation of bubbles along the riser tube flue-wall surface, thereby practia very undesirable insulating condition. till further, this rapid circulatory action causes such a rapid movement of the water that objectionable lime deposits are not formed along the heat transfer surfaces which condition, if it existed, would greatly lower the heaterefliciency due to the insulating effects.

Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that by the elimination of the foregoing highly undesirable features the efliciency of the heater as a whole is greatly increased. In heater efficiency closely approaches the ideal condition. Furthermore, in the use of my invention, the operating cost of the heater is greatly reduced. Less fuel is required because of the greater efiiciency obtained from the fuel'employed. The construction as a whole is exceedingly simpkle and quite inexpensive to manufacture. T e automatic arrangement practically eliminates the human element and makes water heaters of this character foolproof and safe in operation. There are very few parts to maintain from repair and other standpoints. The parts used are of a character which may be readilyand quickly cleaned and-otherwise serviced.

fact, with my invention, the

While I have shown and described only, one

form of embodiment of my invention it will be understood that various changes in details and the arrangement of parts may be made therein without departing from the spirit combustion chamber and adapted to discharge hot gases directly against the bottom of said tank and into said flue, and a multipletube thermosiphonicwater carrying element 7 the wallofsaid conduit forming with theconsisting of a plurality of separately-acting tubes mounted wholly within said tank and around and supported by said flue with the fluewall forming a part of the wall thereof for transfer of heat from" the hot flue gases to the water in the tubes of such element directly through said flue wall.

2. In a water heater, a storage tank, means for discharging hot gases against the bottomof said tank, a conduit passing centrally from delivery of the water from the tank bottom toward and into said tubes. 7

3. In a water heater, a tank, a conduit passing through said tank, a hollow star-shaped water circulating element mounted upon and surrounding saidconduit within said tank,

star-arms of said element a plurality of triangularly-shaped, separated, water-circulating-passages along said conduit, and means for discharging hot gases against the wall of said tank at one end of said said conduit. V

4. A thermo-siphonic device for heating and circulating water in a tank comprising a conduit member adapted to be mounted within thetank, and means associated with said passages and into conduit member for segregating the water in said tank immediately a jacent the wall of said conduit into an' annular series of relatively thin, separated streams which engage and pass longitudinallyalong in immediate contact with the outer wall surface of said conduit, and means for assing a heating medium through said con uit.

5. In a water heater, a storage tank, a conduit passing through said tank, means for passing a heating medium through said conduit, a tubular member surrounding said conduit, said member terminating short of the top and bottom of said tank and having its wall extending inwardly at aplurality of points to contact the wall of said conduit and to provide a plurality of separate passe es along'said conduit and in communication with the water in said tank, said member includin means fordeilecting water from said ta 7 into said separate passages.

8. In a water heater, a water storage tank, a c lindrical conduit passing through said tank, means for passing a heating medium throu h said conduit, a tubular member of star-l1 e shape in cross section surrounding said conduit, said member terminating short of the top and bottom of said tank and due to its sha e having its wall contacting the wall of said conduit at intervals to provide with the wall of said conduit a plurality of separate passages longitudinally along saidconduit and in communication with said tank, said member having a flarin mouth of substantial size for insuring elivery of the water from said tank into said separate passages.

In testimony whereof, I have subscribed my name.

. JS P. MORLEY.

use 

